Quad Bike Tours Sunshine Coast Regional Council · MCU12/0012

Dear Mr Lewis

Re: Application No. MCU12/0012

I write to you in relation to a proposal by Noosa Quad Bike Tours to commence operations in your Council
area.

In our capacity as the Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety, our concerns are restricted solely
to the health and safety issues involving such an arrangement and the potential impacts on the general
public.

Quad bikes are now the leading cause of injury related deaths on farms in Australia surpassing tractors by a
ratio of almost 2:1. In 2011, there were 23 quad bike related fatalities and many times more serious injuries
including lifelong debilitating head and spinal injuries. Our most recent estimates indicate that for every
fatality there is upwards of 40 hospital admissions (denoting they are a serious injury) and a similar number
of emergency department presentations.

Given the extensive research that we have conducted in this area we believe that the proposition by this
company to run quad bike tours on public roads poses a significant risk that has potential to increase the
number of deaths and serious injuries from these vehicles. In particular I wish to bring the following to your
attention:

   The use of these vehicles on public roads will allow an interface with other traffic. Where these vehicles
    are used in the USA there is a major problem of crashes with other vehicles and we should be learning
    from this lesson to eliminate their use on public roads. Furthermore, it is not clear if this use will
    involve driving on sealed roads. If yes, this is contrary to the best practice use of quad bikes given their
    low floatation tyres.
   With up to 7200 inexperienced riders this will pose a major safety hazard. While we understand there is
    a proposition for these individuals to receive some training, there is no way that such training will meet
    the existing competency standards in Australia. Additionally, it is improbable that any such training
    would meet Workplace Health and Safety requirements.
   We also know from Australian coronial data that approximately 50% of all fatalities occur when the
    vehicles rollover. The failure to provide any crush protection device on these vehicles is also a major
    issue and worthy of further consideration under Workplace Health and Safety requirements.

In summary, increasing use of these vehicles by inexperienced operators will only exacerbate an already
horrendous death and injury toll. It will also increase pressure on emergency services and health services
for response to incidents. Furthermore, the use of these vehicles in public areas (as opposed to privately
owned property), will substantially increase risks for the general public. We should be trying to learn from
the tragic lessons in the USA where around 800 people are killed each year, many of them from rollovers
and/or collisions on public roads and parks.

Given the risks of increased trauma not just to riders but also to the general public and in the interests of all
parties involved, we would not support the approval of this business venture unless all of the above issues
could be resolved.

Sincerely,




Associate Professor Tony Lower
27th August 2012
cc. Mr John Knaggs, CEO Sunshine Coast Regional Council

                    Australian Centre for Agricultural Health and Safety, University of Sydney
                    PO BOX 256 MOREE NSW 2400
                    T +61 2 67528210 F +61 2 67526639
                    E [email protected]
                    ABN 15 211 513 464 ‐ CRICOS 00026A